Method of detecting cysteine proteases

摘要

Peptide thioneamides are provided as synthetic substrates for cysteine proteases. The compounds of the invention are peptides consisting of one or more blocked or unblocked amino acids wherein the terminal carboxy of the peptides are thionated and forms a thioneamide linkage with a fluorogenic or chromogenic leaving group. The alpha carbonyls of the remaining amino acids are thionated or unthionated. The invention includes methods and kits for using the peptide thioneamides.